Holy Shrapnel I'm Building My Own Fire!!

Family!
Once again…say it with me…HOLY SHRAPNEL! What a phenominal week. First things first…Happy Birthdays to D. Spaff and the infamous Done Sean. You are both just wonderful. Done, you have a letter coming. No worries! 

Great, great, great week. Oh yeah, confessions this week. Katie- I totally stole your ensemble sweat pants and that green striped shirt you love from platos closet…I´m asking forgiveness. Mom, I stole from you an abundance of leggins....they have served me well because it´s freezing here! Family- EMAIL is the best way to reach me. The only family member I heard from this week was dad. BOO! Another cry to repentence--mike, ash, katie, james, sophie, mom! Hope you´re all well. Love you.
 
Okay, now for mission stuff. I find myself ¨backpack running¨all over the place. Blob will appreciate that. For those of you who don´t know, backpack running is awkwardly running to your destination while frantically pulling down on the shoulder straps trying to steady your backpack...it looks ridiculous. This behavior can be most frequently observed at BYU. Speaking of Blob, the most hilarious letter I have received from anyone is from Mr. Bob LeBaron. I think only Zabet can top it. Back to the backpack run. We are SO engaged in the work we are just running all the time in between things. It´s awesome! Also, the weather here is SO strange! Every five minutes it rains like its never going to stop (katie, liz, jess...like Guatemala) five minutes later wind like the apocalipse blows us away and almost broke my umbrella this week, five minutes later we are sweating and five minutes after that FREEZING. brau.

 
I´m going to explain the pictures now. The fire one is my first fire that I made all by myself. That´s our source of heat and there is nothing better than doing personal study with a hot drink in front of our fire. WOW!

H

The next picture is of a crazy old man. He is our papito. The mamita cooks us lunch every day and does our laundry and loves us. The papito is exactly how he looks. Super mischeivious and ALWAYS laughing and having a good time. I absolutely LOVE this man. Him and mamita joined the church like 16 years ago when they were living in Santiago and are super strong. They´ve been feeding missionaries for 15 years. 
The next picture was of Sunday, yesterday. Best day EVER! We reached our goal of 30 lessons taught with 50% with a member. It was a miracle! I never thought seeing people change their lives could be this happy! Every day here I learn just how much I do not know. I can and should be better in so many ways and in my knowledge of the Gospel and scriptures and in my relationship with God and the Savior, my comp, and the people. But my small knowledge is growing. This week, I learned that you can know something by it´s fruits. If the Gospel of Jesus Christ were imaginary, I wouldn´t feel the miraculous increase in peace and happiness that I have felt in my heart recently... I wouldn´t feel joy at kneeling with the familia Azocar and listening to the father pray for his children...I wouldn´t fall into my bed every night with immense satisfaction and happiness KNOWING, I mean knowing, that this work will go forth because it is God´s work and I am just a little instrument in this part of the world. It´s absolutely phenominal to take a step back and look at this work for what it really is. On the most intimate level, we are singing with, teaching, loving, and helping these people take steps in their lives that bring them closer to Christ. On an eternal scale, these people...these sons and daughters of God are gaining their eternal exaltation and taking a step in their eternal progression in become like God. I absolutely love it. We have our first baptism of Victoria and her daughter Deisy this Saturday. Please pray for them.
Dad, I don´t know how much more you could want. With the whole language thing, I really am not good. I´m not being falsly modest either. The Chilean accent is ridiculous, and I have absolutely zero patience with myself because I want to understand NOW and speak NOW and give some huge, eloquent discourse NOW. But I am learning line upon line and learning how to be patient and focusing on the things that I CAN do rather than on those that I CAN´T (thanks for that advice dad!) It´ll come one day. For now, I am content to bear simple testimony and teach parts of the lesson. Dad, I don´t need anything. Don´t send packages because they probably won´t get here and I can buy anything I need. There isn´t really that much to tell other than work, work, work, work. I never liked when missionaries gave huge histories of their investigators either because I didn´t know them. But we have a bunch and are working with wonderful people every day and hopefully helping them. Sometimes I look at my life right now and think how strange it is to be living in a dump house with and Argentine and working with her 24/7 and talking to random people in a country that I know little about in a language that I stink at. But it´s wonderful. In fact, it´s the best decision I´ve ever made in my life. I have so much of myself to work on. Infinite ways I could improve and I feel inadequate to even attempt the Lord´s work sometimes. Everything good that I´ve had, have, or will have in the future comes because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I read Isaiah 53-5 this morning and just sat in awe for like 10 minutes. EVERYTHING...family, accomplishment, life, love, happiness, possessions, forgiveness, experiences--come by and are 100% meaningless without the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I am in awe that someone as undeserving as me has been this blessed. That I am loved eternally by my God. That although I don´t understand the way things REALLY are completely, He helps me. He really does. Everyone reading this, thanks for your examples--I´ve been overlyblessed with extraordinary people in my life. Keep doing what you´re doing and maybe ask the missionaries how you can help them this week. They are working really hard. LOVE YOU ALL! WRITE ME AN EMAIL SOMEONE!
Love Hna Bourne

SISTER BOURNE

Emily has been in Chile 3 weeks now and her mother is keeping this blog to keep friends and loved ones updated.  Thanks for your love prayers and support! Judi

WITH PRESIDENT LOVELL AND HIS WIFE

After 26 hours of travel I meet my dear President and his wife!

From the Mission Home!

Family,
I have just arrived after about 26 hours of traveling since leaving the MTC.  I hardly slept and was completely uncomfortable until touching down from my third flight into Osorno.  Dad, flying inhere has nothing on the Happy Valley. Joke! It is the happy valley to the extreme! It is the happiest of all the valleys...Today is a beautiful, sunny, chilly, Chile day and it is green and I mean GREEN!  About 6 Elders, two office people, President and his wife met us at the airport.  I have felt absolutely terrified since stepping foot into the advanced MTC class until the moment I saw their smiling faces at the baggage claim.  Everyone has been nothing but so kind and welcoming.  President Lovell is such a gentle, calm, tender soul and Hermana Lovell is just a spitfire sasspot- I adore them both. President has everyone's names, hometown, and random facts memorized- he is awesome. We are just chilling in the mission home after a delicious lunch and President just informed me that I'll spend my first cambio here in Osorno with the "best sister" in the mission.  He got teary just talking about her.  She is from Argentina and this is her last six weeks, so I am so excited to start my mission working as hard as I can with a native in the city I'll probably end my mission in- he also said I am living in a small house with the best mamita in the whole mission(she cooks, cleans, and does laundry for us)- when the AP's found out they were jealous!  Anywho, it was so great talking to you at the airport yesterday.  I couldn't say everything I wanted to because I knew I wouldn't be talking to any of you till Christmas so I was kind of weird.  But seriously, thank you for your love and support and letters- they helped me so much in the MTC to work my hardest and to remember that although I feel like I am doing this completely alone, I have the best family on earth cheering me on and praying for me.  Mom and dad, you really are both phenominal people and thank you for having testimonies I've been able to lean on for so many years.  Even in these last three weeks, my testimony has been victim to my own thoughts and my own attacks on it.  Luckily, because of these atatcks on my testimony- it is stronger than ever.  I know this work will go forward because it is God's work.  I know that this is real.  That the reality in which we live is the one where God is God. Christ is not only the Son of God, but our Savior and Redeemer- the Atonement  was actually necessary and actually completed.  I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet who saw God the Father and Jesus Christ and the gospel of Jesus Christ was restored through him.  I know the adversary is real and cunning and it is so easy to be distracted and led away by him.  I know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is everything and I know that I have stepped over that line into lifelong discipleship and I'm never coming back.  I love that statement by Henry B. Eyring when he says "I will give till I drop , preach till all know, go till Christ comes and when He comes He will have no problem recognizing me, for my banner will be clear."  I aim to spend the rest of my life making my banner clear.
I love you all and still can't believe that the next whole year and a half will be spent here.  I can't wait.  Sincerely, thank you for everything you all have done, do and will continue to do for me.  It's ridiculous how lucky I am.  I love you all so much.  Sophie, be good because we have the best parents on earth.  I love you all more than  anything on this earth (besides the gospel, of course).  The gospel is true!
Hermana Bourne

B-R-R-R-R! MY SECOND WEEK IN CHILLY!

Family, friends. Admirers, countrymen!
Wow. Holy shrapnel. It´s only my second week and I have absolutely no idea where to begin. I only have like 20 minutes left on the computer. Okay. First of all, shout outs to SBLOOOOOOD! Soon to be Mrs. SBLOOD! Congrats on the engagement! I wish I could be there. The two of you are amazing and I wish you so much happiness!!! YAYAYAYA. The temple is honestly the single best place on earth. Enjoy it! Second, thanks to Tucker, Noah, Mary Evans, my mom, dad, and james for the dearelders and letters. Everyone else, I´m crying repentance to you! REPENT!!! Especially HAL and MIKEY (not to name any names or anything) (and send me a dear elder because I don´t have your addresses). People, dearelder is the best way to reach me. I promise I´ll try to write back, but right now I´m sort of focused on the eternal salvation of the souls of the people of Camino Real....so....I´ll try. 
This weeks theme was rejection...hard core rejection and the most hilarious contacts EVER! We are expected to make 20 contacts every day where we walk up to random people and bear our testimonies of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. This week we had a guy so drunk he couldn´t stand up or talk, one guy with absolutely NO teeth (SIN DIENTES for all you Spain peeps), one guy opened his door, yelled ¨son falsos¨and slammed it, one man said the book of mormon was ¨dirty¨and I was tempted to ask if he needed a new one, one guy said ¨sincerely, you are of the devil¨, and a few even ran away from us. There was one day where every single thing we did DIDN´T work! It was awesome though because while these people were scorning the truth, my heart just felt a little sad for them. Hopefully they can have to opportunity again later down the road. But, the thing I learned this week was that hat ONE moment you have with an investigator where they take one step closer to Christ is worth an entire weeks worth of exhaustion, tired feet, study, slammed doors, and insults. We had a moment like that with Victoria, her children, the bishop, and Hno. Chaipul. It was incredible. She´s working towards baptismo and we are stoked!
Cultural note. It is super difficult...near impossible to get divorced here, so the chilenos have found a solution. They just don´t get married! No one here is married but EVERYONE has children and is living together which makes the law of chastity a tad dificult to follow. One woman named Maria (she´s wanted to get baptised for a while) had a blessing in disguise when her partner hit her and left. Of course its a horrible, horrible thing abuse, but now she has a date, is changing and repenting, and moving on with her life. Another cultural note...there are Callalillies in ALL the yards here. My favorite flower EVER! (I think its a little tender mercy). Osorno is in the middle of the happy valley, but all the neighborhoods are pretty trashy....so the flowers help. Another thing...I hate the dogs here. There are more dogs than people and these things are feisty! We had to run as fast as we could the other night to escape the wrath (and probably rabies) of a little guy. Another thing, the people here speak SO fast. They do not move their lips. Everyone reading this say something as fast as you can so all your words slur together and no one can understand you....thats what I´m trying to understand every moment here, but in a different language. BRAU! The people really are so awesome though, if you can get into their houses. One more fun fact and I´ll move on to the gospel. If anyone gets called down here the number one thing they need is a sleeping bag. I wear that thing all the time in the house because our wood stove is pretty good at keeping us warm but not really. My comp loves it because I hop around to the kitchen and bathroom like a worm.
Okay, so we had zone conference this week and it was INCREDIBLE in every sense of the word. The mission is falling behind in baptisms and continued attendence so we have a mountain of work, but I know that with the Lord, we can do it. We are expected to teach 30 lessons a week and 50% of those with a member present. I don´t know how that compares to the rest of the world, but I feel like it´s a doozy! (Dad, that´s for you). We had 19 total last week and 22 this week, so we are getting there. It´s my personal goal to work up to the standards and then exceed them every week. Pray for me please! I can´t even begin to describe the kinds of experiences I´m having here. The actual relationship that I have with God is growing. It´s more real and consuming than ever. Things I do have purpose and meaning. I feel like I¨m actually helping people eternally and it´s marvelous. The ways I study and pray are 100% different than before because its REAL. The reality in which we live is that God is our Father, we are his Children on the road back to him. We came to earth to receive bodies so we could progress, but we can´t without the Spirit. There are eternal laws given to us that we disobey—this is called sin. Because we all sin, we can´t have the Spirit with us or progress. Literally, we CAN´T. But because of the infinite wisdom and mercy of Heavenly Father, He sent His son to feel and experience every single thing we have, are, and will experience so that He could stand between us and justice IF we have faith, repent, are baptised BY the proper authority, receive the Holy Ghost, and continue to have the holy ghost by our perservering until the end of our lives. HE gives us everything for nothing. It´s quite marvelous. I am so thankful for the opportunity I have to spread this message of hope and mercy with these people. It´s a gift.
I love you all. Mom,Dad,mikey,ash,james,katie,and Soph. I don´t really have time to write much, but I show everyone the picture of our family. Family is the most important thing and whenever I feel discouraged or frustrated, I remember how blessed I am to have you guys. Thanks for everything. You too other family and friends, I can´t express to you how infinitely blessed I am to have you all in my life...I can´t. I love you all. Go do good things.
Love, Hermana Bourne

Family!
Guess who chops wood and builds a fire every night to stay alive...guess who hasnt heard english and wont for the next 11 weeks...guess who lives with and Argentine angel who speaks silly (sho me shamo...shout out to elder davis)...guess who is going to be completely spherical when she rolls off the plane...guess who has been FREEZING since she flew over the border...guess who lives on $150 a month? HERMANA BOURNE! This is the life, family (and friends)
Dont even know where to start, holy shrapnel. I am on a mission. no, business first. I have one hour a week to email. I have to email prez lovell and then can only send ONE other email to the family member of my choice. Sorry everyone, the blog is it. I have not received any mail because we are not that close to the presidents house, but the APs called and I DO have mail. The dear elders are the best because they print them off at the office and bring them to zone conferences and stuff. So Ill get them on thursday I hope. I cant really read emails and stuff before I send you guys anything, I print them off and then read them later today or whatnot. Thats about all the business I have.
Okay, the mission. We flew overnight to Santiago and I talked with the people in the airport and in the next seat a lot. No conversions or miraculous stories, but I bore my testimony and had a good time. It is SO cold here. Literally, when our plane flew over the border into Chile, my blood FROZE. It is humid and really cold here. My everyday outfit cosists of the gs, pantyhose, pants, slip, skirt, undershirt, shirt, sweater, fleece, and waterproof shell. BRAU. We arrived at the airport the day after we left and prez and the aps were there to greet us. I was SO happy to see sister lovell. She ran right over and gave me the biggest hug (hugs are hard to come by in the mission field when you cant really touch anyone). It was wonderful because I had been traveling with a pack full of elders since salt lake. Sorry I sounded so tired on the phone. A. I was and B. It was more of a scared-tired than anything else. But thank you for what you wrote in your email, dad. Ive decided to do just what you told me. To focus more on what I CAN do than what I CANT. Thats the key. ANd this week, I decided to make the theme of my mission -lift where you stand-. pretty good, eh? I will never be exceptional in the language or cultural shrapnel, but I can lift, I can bear testimony, I can teach (kind of), and I can encourage...so thats what Im going to do. It has been SO frustrating to not have ability in the language. All I want to do is say normal, simple things, and I cant. But I am learning, and my Castellano (Spanish :) ) gets better every single day.
Onto the comp. She is an angel straight from heaven (and Buenos Aires). I swear when she floated into presidents house, she was glowing. She is the epitome of meekness, kindness, and patience (which I never really developed, but because of her, I do) simultaneously, she is bold and knows what she knows. Hermana Alvarez speaks absolutely NO english which is awesome, yet hilarious sometimes. I taught her the word for -freckle- yesterday and we died laughing because of her pronunciation. We work hard, and we are progressing as comps. Ive been so blessed to have her as my comp.
The work is nothing like I expected. I have no clue what I was expecting. We really do contacts. We are required to do 20 per day, teach 30 lessons a week (50% with a member), and baptise every month. Pretty lofty goals considering NO ONE here is married and very flaky. But I have met some incredible people here. One example is Hermano Chaipul, the ward mission leader. Heard the gospel when he was 10, got dunked, served a mission in Vina del Mar (Chile) and has never looked back. Has a beautiful family and job, but spends SO much time with us teaching and bearing testimony and trying to pronounce the Ss in the words because no one pronounces them here. Really weird, but beautiful accent here. He told me yesterday that it is his DREAM to see the Salt Lake Temple and feel the strength of the members and pioneers inside. He got kind of teary and then said, well, if I cant in this life, I will in the next. It was so tender and sweet. He is such a good man.
FOOD. Okay, people. Im going to be huge. Our mamita (every companionship has one) cooks for us and does our laundry and loves us. Ours in a member and apparently the best in the entire mission. Her meals are just huge heaps of LOVE. So we wake up at 7, drink herbal tea or have a slice of bread, study all morning and then go to the mamitas at 1230 for HUGE portions of deliciousness and prosolite until 930 or 10. plan, drink somthing, sleep. Im not in osorno, osorno. Im in rahue (raw-way) alto in barrio (neighborhood) camino real. It consists of huge neighborhoods full of two room houses that are TINY and dirty and smooshed, but its great. Hna alvarez said Ill probably be here for 2 transfers. So im trying to get to know everyone I can here because when she leaves (this is her last cambio), I have to show my new senior comp around. AHHHHHHHH. 
Shout outs real quick. Mom and dad, you are my biggest supporters, and you do NOT understand what your letters and encouragement means to me. It means Im not alone out here and that I have you guys cheering me on up north. Sincerely, thank you. I love you both so much. MIkey and Ashley, BABY! Love you both, Im happy you are settling into your life in the chester and baby is swimming around well. Cutie pants. Mike! Congrats on the test. Dominate EVERYONE. James, get married! JK; I want to be there for that. But I hear that you are quite the ladies man...keep it up! Love you. Katie...what the 93% on anatomny! HOLY SHRAPNEL. do the junior core. Jk...mine! You are so smart! Say hi to nate and andy for me! Sophie, I tell EVERYONE about you. YOu are such a good little sister, thanks for writing to me and I hope you are good in school. I love you babe.
Bette and Bubba, Im sorry I cant write you an email, but I love you both so much and would love to hear from you.
HAl and Cynthia, your words of encouragement helped me so much in the MTC. THANK YOU, sincerely. Love you.
Halsy. BRAU CHICA BRAU BRAU! Cambiamos. Sera un misionero por todo su vida. le amo muchisimo. quiero sepa que estoy trabajando mucho y ohala que puedo un misionera como tu. I LOVE YOU and welcome home. Dont get married yet.
Everyone else, you are the best! Thank you for your prayers and letters and support. Its someones birthday this week but I cant remember because Im a bad person, but I love all of you and Im happy to be here! 
ps, i tried to send pictures, but its being weird, So ill try the next time. Love you! Hna Bourne
pss, SOMEONE get me kathy jones address!!!!!

I'M IN CHILE!

Emily arrived in Osorno Chile on October 4th.  She met with her mission president and met her new companion Hermana Alvarez.  Her president said Hermana Alvarez was, in his opinion, the finest missionary in the church!  High praise indeed, and lucky Emily to be trained by such a wonderful sister!

19 DAYS IN THE MTC - AND I'M OFF TO CHILE!!!

mmmmmmmmmm